The Anti-Necktie

A fun twist on the typically stodgy club tie from a legendarily louche 1970s brand.

We've made no secret of our enthusiastic support for Boast, the legendarily louche, anti-jock sporting brand that was a status symbol in the equally louche seventies. But while most of our attention has focused on its iconic and easygoing polos, we've recently found ourselves reaching for its hand-rolled English silk ties. Boast's navy club tie in particular catches our eye – but also has us wondering precisely what kind of club claims a Japanese maple leaf as its insignia. (And c'mon, we all know that particular flora was chosen for its resemblance to another many-pointed and oh-so-kind leaf; the bottle-green version of this tie may as well have been a petition-signing incentive for Washington and Colorado's recent "legalize it" push.) Whether or not you're the Jimmy-Cliff-on-repeat type, know this: At three inches across, both are cut and shaped in the perfect sweet spot between too-trendy thin and yesterday's-news wide. So knot one up for a left-leaning Thanksgiving or to fit in, but at a still comfortable distance, at your fraternity brother's second wedding. Just save the chronic for the reception. [$120; boastusa.com]